“Lord God, Bless each of us during this festive period. 
Help us to remember others during this time of holidays, 
activities and rest. We lead with your Love.. 
Safeguarding Office Newsletter December 2007 

WELCOME to the Safeguarding 
Office’s Christmas Newsletter of 
2007. 
I would like to start our festive newsround 
by reassuring you all that despite common 
trends now-a-days, we have not had our 
Christmas tree up since September, or 
posted off all our cards. In fact, there is only 
one member of our team who is 
organised enough to have already bought all 
her presents! But… next year we will be 
more organised! 
As many of you may already know – in an 
effort to reduce my hours, I have moved 
from the post of National Adviser, into the 
newly created position of Assistant Head of 
Safeguarding. I will now be working 3.5 days 
a week and would like to take this 
opportunity to say a huge thank you to 
everyone, for all the support that was 
afforded me, in my role as National Adviser. 
As a result of this change, the Church of 
Scotland took the opportunity to change the 
title of National Advisor to Head of 
Safeguarding. 
It is my pleasure to welcome Fionna 
Miskelly to the department as our new Head 
of Safeguarding and I know she is looking 
forward to meeting you all in due course. 
Fionna and myself both took up our new 
posts on Monday 12 November and look 
forward to your continued support and 
encouragement, as we take Safeguarding 
forward into its next chapter. 
Written by Jennifer McCreanor 
Articles Covered: 
Ringing in the Changes… 
A Bit More About Fionna 
Disclosure Scotland 
PVG (Scotland) Act 2007 
Cascading Child 
Protection to 
Congregations 
The Safeguarding Office 
or Ministries Council 
Myth Busters 
Coordinator Training 
Training Matters: 
Ten Years of 
Safeguarding Office 
Trainers’ Extranet Site 
Briefing Package for Kirk 
Sessions 
Learning and 
Development Course 
Appreciation 
Insert: 
Letter from Safeguarding 
Committee 
ALTHOUGH originally from Edinburgh, 
Fionna has been living and working in 
Aberdeen since graduating in 1984. 
She has worked largely in childcare and 
child protection across the voluntary, 
statutory and not-for-profit sectors of social 
work, although she has also taught social 
work students and acted as a safeguarder for 
the children’s panel. 
Latterly, her experience of establishing a 
fostering service in the North East of 
Scotland has underlined the need for systems 
to be put in place, to ensure that the most 
vulnerable in our society are protected and 
achieve their full potential. 
Fionna is looking forward to working with 
you all to ensure that the Church of Scotland 
remains at the forefront of developments in 
this area. 
In addition, Fionna is delighted to be 
living and working back home in Edinburgh 
and meeting you all over the coming months 
as she becomes established in the team. 
A Bit More About Fionna 
Distributed by The Safeguarding Office, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN 
Ringing in the Changes… 
IN our Newsletter of July 2007, we asked 
that only new style Disclosure Scotland 
Application forms and coversheets be 
submitted to the Safeguarding Office. 
We now advise that as from the 31 
December 2007, only new style applications 
and coversheets will be accepted. 
Any old style application forms received 
after this date, will be returned to the 
Coordinator, along with new forms to 
complete. Should you require a stock of 
applications or coversheets, please let us 
know and we will be happy to send these out 
to you. 
As of 31 December, 
only the new styleDisclosure Scotland 
Application formsand coversheets 
will be accepted 
Disclosure Scotland 

SAFEGUARDING NEWSLETTER 

A new 
electronic 
scheme record 
system that willbe continuouslyupdated 

Statement of 
Scheme 
Membership willimproveprotection 

Will speed up 
recruitment 
decisions, reduce 
bureaucracy andreduce costs 

THE Scottish Government is taking forward 
a comprehensive implementation programme 
to deliver the provisions outlined in the 
Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) 
(Scotland) Act 2007. 
Improving ProtectionThe PVG Act will deliver a robust vetting 
and barring scheme that will safeguard 
children and protected adults by keeping 
people who would harm them out of caring 
positions and a fair and consistent system 
that will be simple and easy for people to 
understand and use. 
It will help to ensure that people, who 
have demonstrated through past behaviour 
that they pose an unacceptable risk, do not 
gain access to children or protected adults 
through the workplace or through 
volunteering. 
The PVG Act introduces a new electronic 
scheme record system that will be 
continuously updated. This will make it easier 
to identify people who become unsuitable, 
delivering an additional tool for employers to 
use to help them to make informed and safe 
recruitment decisions. 
It will make it an offence for organisations 
to permit a person who is barred from 
working or volunteering with vulnerable 
groups to undertake such work (this does not 
apply to individual employers such as parents 
or people who are buying care services 
directly). People who become unsuitable 
while employed (paid or voluntary) in the 
regulated workforce will be removed quickly 
from their post. 
A new Statement of Scheme Membership 
will improve protection for vulnerable groups 
in instances where people are directly 
employed to do regulated work. Direct 
employers (such as a parent who employs a 
sports coach for their child or a person 
buying a home care service) can ask to see an 
up to date Statement of Scheme Membership 
to confirm that the person is not unsuitable 
Minimising BureaucracyThe Act delivers a system that will, in the 
vast majority of cases, be quicker and simpler 
for employers, employees, volunteers and self 
employed people to understand and use. 
People who work or volunteer with 
children and/or protected adults will apply to 
be a scheme member. 
Thereafter, their scheme records will be 
kept constantly up to date which means that 
they will no longer need to undergo a time-
consuming disclosure procedure each time 
they change posts. 
Instead, a short version of individual 
scheme records will be available online. This 
will enable employers to do an instant check 
to verify that a person is a scheme member 
and therefore, not unsuitable. In most 
instances, this will speed up recruitment 
decisions, reduce bureaucracy and reduce 
costs. 
ImplementationThe detail of the new vetting and barring 
scheme will be developed through secondary 
legislation and the Scottish Government 
expects to consult and engage widely with 
stakeholders on this towards the end of 2007. 
This will allow adequate time to prepare for a 
possible go-live date for the scheme in 
spring/summer 2009. 
The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 
"The following information has been provided by the Scottish Government to assist readers 
understanding of the PVG Act. It does not constitute legal advice from the Scottish Government." 
For more information visit www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/children-families/pvglegislation 
The Process for Cascading Child Protection to Congregations 

WE have recently had several phone calls, asking what the process is for the Safeguarding 
Office cascading child protection information to congregations. 

The Safeguarding Office sends all updated information to congregations via the 
Safeguarding Coordinators, in the form of newsletters etc. It is therefore important that 
all Coordinators be afforded the opportunity to cascade this information through their 
Kirk Session. 

PleasepassthisNewsletterontoothermembersofyourcongregation
Please refer to the Child Protection Handbook Unit 2: Section 3 ‘Access to the Kirk Session by the Coordinator’ 

Please refer to Unit 3: Section 2 of the Child Protection Handbook for more information 
The Safeguarding Office or Ministries Council ? 
Myth Busters 
This is where we need your help… again!


short sentence incorporated into the 
standard consent form or the use of a 
separate consent form. 

There will soon be a template of a 
photography consent form available within 
the ‘resources’ section of the website, if you 
wish to use it. 


THERE was an insert in our Summer 
Newsletter detailing four myth busters, 
which had arisen from enquiries. We now 
bring you a further two to add to these. 

Myth Buster 1 

No photographs of children to be taken 

A common opinion is that children should 
never be photographed. This is a myth as 
there is no legislation that states this and is 
not the Safeguarding Office policy. 

We appreciate how important it is that 
moments in children’s lives should be 
captured using photography; we see the 
benefits and would not want to discourage 
photographs being taken. 

However, we have produced guidelines on 
photography to ensure safe practice. Our 
guidance also includes issues such as use of 
photographs and storage etc. 

A suggestion in the guidelines is that 
written consent is received from parents/ 
guardians of the child. This can just be a 

Myth Buster 2 

A congregation can only have one 
Safeguarding Coordinator 

A common myth within congregations is 
that their Kirk Session can only appoint one 
Coordinator. This is a myth and the decision 
rests entirely with the individual Kirk Session 
how many Coordinators they appoint, 
depending on their needs. In a large 
congregation, for example, it may make 
sense to appoint more than one. The 
Safeguarding Office appreciates the work 
and commitment of Coordinators and 
understands that there is a possibility of 
increased workload when the Protection of 
Vulnerable Groups (PVG) (Scotland) Act 
2007 is implemented. Please don't be 
concerned with this at present, however, it 
may be useful to have a discussion with your 
Kirk Session if you feel that a further 
Coordinator may need to be appointed in 
the future. 

DECEMBER 2007 

Coordinator
Training


THERE is still some 
confusion regarding 
the recruitment process for Safeguarding 
Coordinators. 

As per instruction 
provided in the Child 
Protection Handbook, Unit 2: Section 
3, Coordinators must 
be appointed by Kirk 
Session in the first 
instance and a 
Registration of Coordinator Form (SG12) 
completed and then 
forwarded to the 
Safeguarding Office. 

Once this has 
been received, the 
Coordinator’s details 
are then entered on 
to the Safeguarding 
Office database and a 
letter of invite to 
Coordinator Training 
is issued. 


Ten Years of Safeguarding 
2007 all-but over and what a year! The Safeguarding 
Office celebrated its 10th year; a theme that became the 
main focus for our annual Trainers’ Conference. We 
looked at how Safeguarding has developed and what lies 
just over the horizon; tantalisingly close, but still out of 
sight. 
The Conference was also told about the most recent 
developments and it is on these, I wish to concentrate 
the Training section of this newsletter. 
Trainers’ Extranet Site 
The most exciting development for me is undoubtedly 
the Trainers’ Area, accessible from the Safeguarding 
Extranet. By now, all Trainers should have received 
their passwords and ‘user guide’, enabling them to 
access the site easily. If, however, for any reason you 
have not received this information, please contact the 
Safeguarding Office. 
The online ‘discussion forum’ has allowed me wider 
consultation than I have previously enjoyed on the 
development of training matters. I would like to thank 
everyone who has contributed so far and ask others, 
‘Why not?’ 
Originally, only Trainers had access to the area, but 
this has recently been extended to include Trainers in 
Training. A discussion topic, raised the question, 
‘should this area now be opened up to Presbytery 
Contacts?’ My reason for this, is that Trainers will know 
about developments before Presbytery Contacts, and if 
they tell others about these, there is a real danger that 
Presbytery Contacts will feel redundant and resentful. 
Obviously, by the time you are reading this, the 
question may have been resolved. Why not visit the 
discussion archive to find out more about this latest 
topic. 
Briefing Package for Kirk SessionsAnother recent development, is the Briefing Package 
for Kirk Sessions. This is not intended as Child 
Protection training for those Kirk Sessions, but is 
rather, to bring them up-to-date with changes in 
safeguarding law, practice and procedures, so that they 
can properly and more effectively recruit, manage and 
support the Children’s Workers they appoint within their 
congregations. The package is available for download 
from the ‘resources’ section of the Trainers’ Area and 
hard copies will be sent out in the New Year. 
Learning and Development CourseTwo weeks after the Trainers’ Conference, a small group 
of Trainers in Training were brought together for the 
pilot Learning and Development course. This was held 
jointly with prospective Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade Trainers 
at Carronvale. It was, I believe, a really enjoyable and 
informative experience for all. 
I can say that any resistance to the course was 
overcome by the end of the weekend. I am very pleased 
that the course has completely fulfilled my main 
objective that of ensuring that all new Trainers at least 
start with a firm grounding of learning theory and 
practice. 
Unfortunately, there were a couple of prospective 
Trainers who were unable to attend this course and I am 
therefore planning a further course next year. This 
course will have far fewer Trainers in Training, so there 
will be an opportunity for any of our existing training 
team, who would like to boost their skills and experience 
to attend. It would especially benefit anyone considering 
doing an SVQ. If you are interested, either visit the 
‘news’ section of the Trainers’ Area or contact the office. 
Appreciation 
On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone who 
commits so much time and energy to Safeguarding 
Training. I have visited about a third of you and each 
and everyone has displayed very high levels of ability and 
commitment, and I am looking forward to continuing 
my visits in 2008. 
May God bless each and every one of you for the 
work you do in his name. 
Training Matters by Andy Strachan 
Snapshots from the Trainers’ Conference 2007 
A Christmas Prayer 

by Robert Louis Stevenson 

Oh, God... help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, 
that we may share in the songs of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of the wise men.
May the Christmas morning make us happy 
to be your children.


Amen 


Best Wishes to Everyone from Fionna, Jennifer, Lesley R, Andy, Kerry, Lesley B, Claire and Catherine